Falling just short

Burnage.....................202ao Sale............................207-9 BURNAGE missed out on promotion into division one of the Cheshire County Cricket League by just three points after losing by one wicket to visiting Sale.

BURNAGE missed out on promotion into division one of the Cheshire County Cricket League by just three points after losing by one wicket to visiting Sale.

Despite a superb spell of fast bowling from 21-year-old Shabaz Sarfraz (5-39), Burnage missed out on victory and the extra 10 points which would have snatched the runners-up spot from Warrington.

Burnage won the toss, opted to bat first, and saw opener Janaid Maqsood (65) in sublime form as he scored his seventh half-century of the league campaign.

Wicketkeeper Steve Heap (38) was also in fine form, joining the 500-run club as the pair added 87.

A sixth wicket stand of 35 between Syed Abbas (26) and Sabtain Baig (23) took Burnage to 165 after 36 overs before they slumped to a below-par total of 202 all out in 47.2 overs.

In reply, Sale were cruising at 103-3 after 28 of the 52 available overs before Sarfraz struck with the first two balls of his second over.

There was an element of luck to the first as Heap took a smart catch down the leg side after Hampton (38) turned the ball off his ribs.

In contrast, no fortune was involved next ball as Sarfraz beat the batsman for pace to trap him LBW, only to be withdrawn from the attack after his next over when Harrop (57) plundered 13 runs.

The Burnage heads dropped as a seventh wicket stand of 75 took Sale to 189 before a fired-up Sarfraz struck with the fourth ball of the 45th over, Heap holding a catch after Harrop had top-edged an attempted pull.

Two balls later, Sarfraz produced a rapid yorker to knock the middle stump out of the ground and remove Millward (26).

Having clean bowled another batsman with the last ball of the 49th over, Sarfraz did not get a chance to finish the job as Sale took 11 runs from the next over to secure a one-wicket victory in the 50th over.